Thomas lalsraham



T. LANGHAM. Knitting Machine.

No. 201,024. Patented March 5, 1878.

fig. 1.

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' ITED' PATZENT QFFICE.

' THOMAS LANG-HAM, for

ELWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

'SpecifieationIfor'ming part of 'IZettersTa'tent No.

201,024, datedMarch 5, 1878; application filed January 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

invented a new an'd'useful Improvement in Knitting-Machin'es,of whichthe following is a "specification:

My inventionrelatesto certainilnprovements in the knittin g-machine'forwhich Letters Patent of the United States'No. 1,78,167were granted to meon the 30th day of May, A. 'D. 187 6, ,the object of my.presentimprovements being to render automatic the action of the levers whichcarry the supplementary 7 urin g threads. This object I-attainin thefol-' lowing manner, reference'being;hadito"the accompanying drawingyinwhich--' Figure 1 is a sectional view of the knittingmachine with myimprovements applied thereto; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical'se'ction of aportion of the machine;'and Figs; 3, 4, and 5, sectional plans.

The above-mentioned patented machine illustrated and described a seriesof levers arranged adjacent to the needles of an ordinary circular head,and carrying threads, which were at intervals carried by the levers tothe front of the needles of the head, and looped around the same, so asto form extra stitches, which appeared upon the face of the fabric inthe form of stripes or figures. These levers were operated by cams atsuitable intervals; and hitherto, when it was desired to interrupt theformation of the stripe or figure upon the fabric, it was necessary thatthe machine should be stopped, and the cams so manipulated that theyceased to act upon the levers, which remained quiescent, and laid theirthreads straight along the back of the fabric.

The same stoppage in the operation of the machine and manipulation ofthe cams was demanded when it was desired to again commence theformation of stripes or figures. These stoppages and changes of the camsby hand are objectionable, partly on account of the loss of time whichthey necessarily occasion, but even more so on account of the unevennessof the work which is produced on account of the stoppage of the machinesooner at one time than at another. These objections I overcome in thefollowing manner: Above the circular frame or head A, carrying theneedles,

I arrange a'ring, B, which embraces the central fixed shaft D, and isattached to the rotating portion of the head, so as'to' turn with thesame. This ring is slotted for the reception of the levers'E, which arepivoted to the ring an'd extend above and below the same, their lowerends having eyes for the passage of the threads, and'their upper endsprojecting into the annular space which intervenes between collar,casecured to the shaft D, and a ring, b, secured tosaid collar.

'I'have shown in the present instance two sets of levers,'E, threelevers being comprised in each set. ,;-It should be understood, however,that in practice agreater'or less number of sets of levers, or of leversin each set, may be employed, as desired.

In the ring b are formed, in the present instance,three slots adaptedfor the reception of three pivoted cams, d, the cams being arranged oneabove the other, and each cam having at the rear a projecting lug, s.

The upper ends of the levers E are of unequal lengths, one leverextending to the level or" the uppermost cam d, the next lever to themiddle cam, and the last lever to the lowermost cam only, so that eachcam acts upon a separate lever. In practice, instead of having one camonly for each lever of a set, there is a row of cams for each of saidlevers, the number of rows equaling the number of levers in a set, andthe number of cams in each row depending upon the desired character ofthe pattern to be produced by the supplementary or figuring threads.

Surrounding the ring b is a ring, e, which is connected by an arm, f, toa sleeve, 1 embracing the shaft D, the inner face of the ring e beingfurnished with a recess, 91:. In a working machine these recesses willcorrespond in number to the largest number of cams in any of the rowscarried by the ring I).

The upper end of the sleeve F is furnished with an arm, g, arranged tobe acted upon by the upper arm of' a vertical lever, G, pivoted to theframe of the machine, the lower arm of this lever projecting into thepath of cams t 1" on a horizontal disk, I, which is operated in anysuitable manner from some working part of the machine. One of the cams,i, is arranged to move the lever in one direction, while the other cammoves it in the opposite direction and restores it to its firstposition.

Above the collar on is a disk, m, which is supported by arms projectingupward from the ring B, and carries a number of spools or bobbins forfurnishing thread to the levers E, the threads passing through holes ina ring, M, above the spools, thence through openings in plates n securedto the edge of the disk, and thence to the eyes of the levers.

The operation of the machine is as follows: When it is desired to formstripes or figures upon the fabric, the ring 0 is turned to the positionshown in Fig. 3-that is, with its recess out of line with the lugs s onthe cams 01. As the ring B revolves the upper ends of the levers E comein contact with the cams, and as the latter cannot move outward, owingto the resistance of the ring e, the said upper ends of the levers aremoved inward, and enter recesses formed in plates 12 secured to thecollar a in line with the cams d. The lower ends of the levers are thusthrown outward, so as to wrap their threads around the needles in themanner described in my former patent.

The cams i on the disk I are so placed that when the stripe or figurehas to be discontinned the lever G will be so operated as to cause apartial revolution of the sleeve F and ring 0, in order to bring therecess of the latter into line with thelugs s on the cams d, as shown inFig. 4. In this case the levers E, on coming in contact with the cams01, press the latter outward, the levers themselves remaining quiescent,so that their threads are not carried to the front of the needles, andno striping or figuring stitches are formed.

When the formation of the stripe or figure is to be continued, the othercam on the disk I moves the lever G in a direction contrary to that inwhich it was previously moved, so that the parts are again restored tothe positionv shown in Fig. 3.

The movement of the ring e is thus rendered entirely automatic, so thatno stoppage of the machine occurs when a change in the fabric is made.Moreover, as the changes are made by the machine itself, it follows thatthe work produced must be perfectly uniform.

I do not desire to confine myself to the exact arrangement shown foreifecting the changes in the position of the ring e, as other devicesmight be substituted for the same; but

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the levers E, the ring I)and its cams, the recessed ring 2, and the sleeve F, connected to thesaid ring 0, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the levers E, the ring I) and its cams, and therecessed ring 0 with devices, operated substantially as described, forcausing the partial turning of said ring' 0, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS LANGHAM.

Witnesses:

JOHN LANGHAM, Tnno. W. HOLDEN.

